This is a game that requires a higher level of problem solving than other space faring games. It presents itself as a hybrid space combat and RPG game. You control a starship that is returning from an isolated world to Earth, and what you encounter there gives you a major problem to solve with no real clues about how to solve it. The path that you take is left up to you, and the alien races you encounter along the way will give you the information you need.
This is a game that requires a higher level of problem solving than other space faring games. It presents itself as a hybrid space combat and RPG game. You control a starship that is returning from an isolated world to Earth, and what you encounter there gives you a major problem to solve with no real clues about how to solve it. The path that you take is left up to you, and the alien races you encounter along the way will give you the information you need. This takes some patience and some reading, and for awhile you will be dedicated to your own survival in a very hostile environment.
The combat in the game is handled from a top down view of the
space field, and is always between two opposing ships with differing abilities. Throughout the game you can build up a fleet, but only one of your ships will ever be fighting at once. It takes awhile to get used to the strengths and weaknesses of the various ships, both in your own use and that of the AI opposing you.
The graphics of this game were very good for the time, and the rich mix of exploration, RPG interactivity, and combat make this one of the best games of its era. You will find some genuinely funny moments with some of the alien races, with the overarching threat of the Ur-Quan lurking in the background. As the game progresses the tone becomes more serious and urgent, leading to some tense moments in the final stages of the game. If you want a game that progressively unfolds with a rich and intriguing story that keeps you on your toes then this will be right up your alley.
There is also a melee mode if you just want to participate in combat in the game. This will let you test out and see the abilities of the various ships, and it is a good mode to use for some quick fun. The main game itself can take a lot of time, much of it spent traveling through hyperspace, and soon you will be looking at your clock and wondering where the hours went. The conversations with the aliens also take up a significant period of time unless you skip through them quickly, and they are completely necessary to the progression of the game, so make sure you can devote yourself to this significantly.
Overall, this is worth any person's time to download and play. It will provide you with hours of fun, has great replay ability, has great graphics for its age, and will not let you down.
